We have a winner!

On November 13, with the release of the final book in my Chronicles of Fallhollow series, I promised to give away a complete eBook set of the series to one lucky person on Thanksgiving. That one lucky person is:

Sharon Porter!!

Congratulations, Sharon!  I hope you enjoy your ebooks.

If readers would like information about the series, please feel free to head over to my website to learn more. Links to purchase are also provided there or you can click on each book below to visit Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who entered. May you have a blessed holiday season and keep your eyes open for more possible Christmas giveaways!

Duh, duh, duh … it’s time for another secret mermaid book COVER REVEAL!

So, April 2016 brought us an entertaining mermaid tale by Tobi Easton titled, EMERGE. Here’s a pic and you can find my review here. Now, here we are, a year and a few months later and we have a new cover for the next book in the series, SUBMERGE. I can’t wait to see where this tale is going to take our fearless heroine, Lia. This is no Disney Little Mermaid story. It’s also not as dark as the original Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, but I’m sure it’s going to be a spectacular ride.

So, without much more ado

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Submerge (Mer Chronicles #2)
by Tobie Easton

presented by Month9Books!

Be on the look out for this upcoming YA title!

What do you think of the cover?

(I think it’s flippin’ cool! – ha ha. Don’t you love my mild attempt at humor?)

 

 

Now that Lia and Clay’s love has broken the Little Mermaid’s curse, everything has changed. Will Lia’s family remain on land, leading the only life she and her sisters have ever known, or will they move below the waves, to the sparkling new capital city? Lia is adamant about staying on land with Clay for her senior year. But at Melusine and her father’s trial, new revelations threaten what Lia holds most dear.

The verdict will shake Lia’s whole world, calling into question her future with Clay, her feelings for Caspian, and the fate of all Merkind. As she wonders who to trust, Lia sets out on a treacherous path that will lead her away from her sheltered Malibu home to a remote and mysterious school for Mermaids—Mermaids who may hold the secret to ancient magic Lia can use to either get back all she’s lost or to embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey.

Submerge (Mer Chronicles #2)
by Tobie Easton
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books

Google Play | Amazon | TBD | B&N

 

 

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books on www.TobieEaston.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

 

Feyre, Rhysand, Lucien, oh my! – my thoughts on A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN

****Spoiler Alert! ****

There may be some spoilers in this review. Please read at your own discretion

I have really mixed feelings on this book, especially since I’ve been waiting on pins and needles since I finished A COURT OF MIST AND FURY. Now THAT book I loved (minus the gratuitous sex scenes).

Don’t get me wrong. I liked this book, but I felt the pacing was off and it was too long. There were some exciting scenes that got me turning the pages, but seeing as it took me about 4 days to read this…

It should have never taken me that long to read this book. ACOMAF was completed in a day and I was left with my mouth open and my heart aching and “No. no no!!” spewing from my lips. I HAD to have the next book. It just couldn’t end that way.

And now that I’ve read ACOWAR…yeah, I could have waited.

I think the book could have used a bit more editing. I felt that some scenes went on far too long and others fizzled before they ever started. I got really annoyed with Rhysand and Feyre. I mean, no one has that perfect of a relationship. There were moments when there should have been angry emotions, where they really should have been totally pissed off with each other, and then it just went poof as if showing true emotion as a couple is a no-no. And let’s not get me into talking about the side characters: Elain, Nesta, Mor. I think Maas underused them. I really wanted to learn more about what happened to Nesta and Elain in the Cauldron, but it was glossed over, with minor mentions here and there. It was so ‘telling’, not ‘showing’, which really irked me. Here was this huge opportunity to share the horrors of what happened to Feyre’s sisters, and it was barely mentioned. And then we learn that Elain and Lucien are connected as mates. (actually, we learn that at the end of ACOMAF, but it’s accented more here.) But Maas never does anything with that. It felt so ho-hum. And then Lucien takes off and he’s gone 1/2 of the way through the book and when we do see him towards the end, it’s brief, glossed over and there is no closure or anything with Elain and him. Does she take off Greyson’s ring? Does she fall for Lucien? Is Lucien really going back to the Spring Court with Tamlin? After everything, he’s just going to leave Elain? He’s mated to her. Up until this part, the ‘mated’ stuff in this series is serious. You can’t just turn it off, and yet, with these two? There is no heat. There’s no trying. This “mated” thing between them is unresolved and bland and monotone. There’s not heat. There’s no try on Lucien’s part. It really irked me. I’d rather have seen Lucien try and Elain shove off his advances. Maybe even use that underdeveloped magic she gained while in the Cauldron to push him away – or bring him closer.

And what’s with Nesta and Cassian? We all know she’s hot for him, but again, it seemed like Maas was too focused on Feyre and Rhysand that she forgot to go all ninja on Nesta and Cassian. Again, an underdeveloped relationship that should have been a case of fireworks going off, but instead, it ended in a dud.

We never do really find out what the creature was under the library. Well, we kind of do, but it’s not scary, at least not what we were lead to believe.

And how does Feyre just become ‘friends’ with all these bad guys. It’s like she just walks in a room and they all will do anything for her. The Attor, the creature in the library, the Bonecarver, they’re just so willing to help her. There is no intensity, no danger. Nothing she has to really work for. I really wanted to see and feel Hybern’s goons coming into the library.  I wanted to see Feyre battle them on her own, but noooo, she was rescued once more, proving she’s not the badass she wants people to think she is.

Even though I was disappointed in this ‘final’ book in the series, it was still a decent read. I also found out at the end that there will be another book coming. I’m not waiting on the edge of my seat.  I hope this new book goes into Lucien’s relationship with Elain, Tamlin and his mother.  I want there to be explorations and resolutions with Nesta, Elain, Cassian and the whole Court of Dreams. I want Tamlin to heal and find peace. I want there to be some sort of ‘forgiveness’ between him and Lucien. I want Lucien and Elain to find their paths to one another. And I want Mor to reveal more of her secret. Yeah, that was another unexplored part that left me hanging.

I give it 4 stars – barely – mainly for the intense scenes that had me turning pages like my fingers were on fire.

This book was bought and given to me as a gift by a friend.  Thank you, TR!!  You’re the best!!

Release Day Celebration: Immortal (Dragonrider Chronicles #4) by Nicole Conway with Giveaway

OMGosh, it’s a dragon book, but not any dragon book. It’s IMMORTAL!! I’m so fan-girling here!!!

 

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for

Immortal (Dragonrider Chronicles #4)
by Nicole Conway

presented by Month9Books!

Don’t miss out on the next book in this series,
and be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Happy Book Birthday, Nicole!

 

 

Destiny has called.

With Jaevid Broadfeather forever lost to the depths of Luntharda, Felix Farrow struggles to stand on his own. He begins a violent downward spiral which causes him to abandon his post as a dragonrider, hiding in the halls of his family estate. His one hope for redemption lies within the heart of someone from his past—and the very last person he ever wanted to see again.

And now the time has finally come.

Hovrid, who has ruled Maldobar as a tyrannical imposter, is preparing to make a decisive assault against Luntharda that will destroy what remains of the elven race. Only Jaevid, Felix, and their trusted friends are able to stand in his way. They have only one chance to end the war, and only one hope to absolve the curse that threatens to destroy their world. The stage is set. The plan is in motion.

What began as one boy’s adventure will now end in blood.

Excerpt

“. . . souls were funny things. We think we own them, but they aren’t altogether ours. Everyone we love gets a tiny piece of our soul and we get a bit of theirs, too. Those bits stay with us even after we part ways or pass on. So in that way, we get the smallest taste of eternity,” she explained. “Through those tiny pieces of our soul, we are all immortal. If that’s true, and I believe it is, then no one who dies is ever really gone. We carry them with us always.”

Immortal (Dragonrider Chronicles #4)
by Nicole Conway
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.

She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |Goodreads

 

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

 

 

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Facsimile – A book trailer reveal to wet your Sci-Fi whistle

Hello everyone!!  Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

But wait it’s a Thursday!

Yes it is, but I’m bringing you a super special reveal today and there will be a reveal tomorrow as well. Aren’t you excited???

Today, Month9Books is revealing the trailer for Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil.  Haven’t seen the cover yet?  Feast your eyes on this sci-fi beauty.

 

Author: Vicki Weavil

Pub. Date: March 8, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Hardcover, Paperback; eBook

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.

Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.

Now here’s the trailer!

 

 

Vicki L. Weavil is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel. Her Young Adult Fantasy, CROWN OF ICE — a dark YA retelling of H.C. Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” — is published by Month9Books. Two companion books to CROWN OF ICE — SCEPTER OF FIRE and ORB OF LIGHT — will be published in 2016 and 2017.

Her YA SciFi — FACSIMILE — will be published by Month9Books in 2016, with a sequel, DERIVATION, to follow.

A new YA Fantasy, THE DIAMOND THIMBLE, will be published by Month9Books in 2018.

She also writes adult SciFi.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win.

Title will be sent upon its release.

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STARS ABOVE – because THE LUNAR CHRONICLES can’t end!

 Holy glob glob!!  There’s a new book coming out in THE LUNAR CHRONICLES series.

I am sooo doing a happy dance.  I didn’t want this series to end, and even though the author wrapped up the story in this nice, beautiful package we came to know and love as WINTER, I want to know more. This has got to be my favorite series. I didn’t think I would fall in love with it when I first started reading CINDER, but this easily surpassed Cassandra Claire’s Mortal Instrument series.

STARS ABOVE will be the ultimate ‘fill in’ book.  According to the blurb on Goodreads:

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

Click here to read the full blurb.

Guess where I’m going to be on Feb. 2?  2 1/2 week is right around the corner. Agggghhh. Such torture!!

Will you be reading???  Leave me a note in the comments.

FIRSTS ~ a fantastic novel about breaking the double standards of teen sexuality

Recently, I had the opportunity to read the ARC of FIRSTS by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn.

Guys, I have to tell you, I had doubts about this one as it’s about this promiscuous girl in high school who wants to teach male virgins how to ‘do it right’ with their girlfriends for the first time.

I’m not one to read books about sex, and I’m certainly not one who wants to promote sex among high school students, but it was written by this lovely girl in my Sixteen to Read blog group: Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and we are all reading each other’s ARCs, so I set my preferences aside and dug in.

Let me tell you. I started this early in the afternoon, like around 1:30, and I finished it by 5:30. I couldn’t put this book down. It was nothing like what I thought it would be. The characters are fresh, they’re well thought out, and I felt something for every single one of them. And let me tell you, the main character has some amazing friends, and we find out how awesome they are when the story takes its downward spiral.

I don’t want to give too much away on this one, but I will tell you, it totally deals with stereotypes and the way girls are judged for their sexual behavior. I wish there had been a bit more addressing of the double-standard and that guys should be held as responsible as girls for their sexual “mistakes”, but honestly, the story holds a very important lesson. I was overwhelmed by how much I really loved this book, and I highly recommend it.  I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

The 5 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in November

Do you love YA novels? Are you scouring the internet and books stores looking for what’s new in November? Well, look no more. I’ve got five fabulous recommendations for you, and I think most YA readers will agree.  They are numbered in order of most anticipated (well, at least the most anticipated for me).

#1

I am dying to get my grubby little hands on this 800 page masterpiece. This is the final installment in the Lunar Chronicles series, (can you hear my weeping already?) and I’m sure it will be a stellar conclusion. I want this so much, I pre-ordered it ages ago. The waiting is torture.

Description From Goodreads:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Expected release date: November 10, 2015.

#2

This is the second book in the Firebird trilogy and I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. Oh my goodness. I finished A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU a couple of weeks ago and I want this book NOW! The reviews have been most excellent.

Description from Goodreads:

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents’ invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above Youfeatures Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

Expected release date:  November 3, 2015

#3

I am so looking forward to this new fantasy series steeped in Chinese folklore. I fell in love with SERPENTINE, by Cindy Pon, and if this is anything like that book, I am going to love it!!

Description from Goodreads:

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever…

Expected release date:  November 3, 2015

#4

I fell in love with angel stories after reading Heather Burch’s Halfling books, and this series has not disappointed.  I’m really excited to read this one because it’s Cam’s story, and who doesn’t want to read about a brooding, bad-boy angel?

Description from Goodreads:

High school can be hell.

Cam knows what it’s like to be haunted. He’s spent more time in Hell than any angel ever should. And his freshest Hell is high school, where Lilith, the girl he can’t stop loving, is serving out a punishment for his crimes.

Cam made a bet with Lucifer: he has fifteen days to convince the only girl who really matters to him to love him again. If he succeeds, Lilith will be allowed back into the world, and they can live their lives together. But if he fails…there’s a special place in Hell just for him.

Tick-tock.

Spread your wings and cry as bad boy dark angel Cam finally reveals his anguished heart in the epic new FALLEN novel, UNFORGIVEN.

Expected release date:  November 10, 2015

#5

From my Freshman 15 big sister, Charlotte Huang, this debut novel sounds like fantastic fun and an un-put-downable read. I’m so excited for her and her rock star cast of characters.  Fans of the t.v. shows, The Voice and American Idol will love this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Chelsea thought she knew what being a rock star was like… until she became one. After losing a TV talent show, she slid back into small-town anonymity. But one phone call changed everything

Now she’s the lead singer of the band Melbourne, performing in sold-out clubs every night and living on a bus with three gorgeous and talented guys. The bummer is that the band barely tolerates her. And when teen heartthrob Lucas Rivers take an interest in her, Chelsea is suddenly famous, bringing Melbourne to the next level—not that they’re happy about that. Her feelings for Beckett, Melbourne’s bassist, are making life even more complicated.

Chelsea only has the summer tour to make the band—and their fans—love her. If she doesn’t, she’ll be back in Michigan for senior year, dying a slow death. The paparazzi, the haters, the grueling schedule… Chelsea believed she could handle it. But what if she can’t?

Expected release date:  November 10, 2015

*****

So, do any of these tickle your fancy?  What YA books are you looking forward to reading?

She’s a SUPER FREAK. SUPER FREAK – You’ve gotta check ‘her’ out!!

                                     Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover for

Super Freak by Vanessa Barger

an MG title presented by Tantrum Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Thirteen-year-old Caroline is a freak. Her parents have uprooted her to a town full of Supernaturals. You’d think she’d be thrilled. But, with someone without a magical bone in her body, this daughter of tree sprites feels like even more of an outcast than she has ever before.

To make matters worse, her new home is cursed. But when Caroline takes to investigating the mysterious and strange happenings of Harridan House, her BFF goes missing. Seems someone doesn’t want Caroline sticking her non-magical nose where it most certainly does not belong. Determined to prove herself, Caroline uncovers a plot to destroy her new hometown.

Undeterred, Caroline can’t give up. But what’s a human without magical powers to do? Caroline better figure it out fast, before she loses everything she has ever loved and the whispers she’s heard all her life prove true: Caroline is a useless superfreak.

Super Freak by Vanessa Barger
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Tantrum Books
Genre: MG, Fantasy

BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer’s Club, and the Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be found baking when she should be editing.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube

 

 

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Brave knights and heroic courage

With the release of my novel, IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING just around the corner in 2016, I thought the following quote by C.S. Lewis was appropriate.